


By Your Side (Where I Belong)

by princesscas



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Dundrasil AU, Fluff, Hero | Luminary is Named Eleven | El (Dragon Quest XI), I apologize in advance, M/M, MMA Tournament But More Fun, Octagonia, POV Erik, POV Third Person, Self-Indulgent, Terrible Fighter Names, and some Mia, just realized this gets pretty fluffy, mostly just Erik and El for now, there will be more Jade later, written under the influence of Epic Sax Guy edm remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24933847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princesscas/pseuds/princesscas
Summary: Some said the tournament was practically over once the draw was done, and Erik isn't too keen to leave that part up to chance. But there's got to be something controlling the picks, right? It's not ideal, but it's worth a shot.(Also, did he mention his partner's adorable? Because he is. Erik's really got to do something about that.)
Relationships: Camus | Erik/Hero | Luminary (Dragon Quest XI)
Comments: 70
Kudos: 81





	1. Partners in Crime

**Author's Note:**

> hey! welcome to this disaster???
> 
> In case you couldn't tell, this is about the Masked Martial Arts Tournament in Octagonia, which comes up in act I. Mild spoilers for act II as well, but only about Erik's personal quest, and only present in later chapters. If you're past Dundrasil, you should be fine for the first chapter.
> 
> I came up with this concept because I was mad about Erik getting kicked in the face immediately and I love Dundrasil stuff. This is just something I would want to read - fluff with some canon elements, in a Mordegon-less universe. Rated T because Erik swears :0
> 
> Without further ado, here you go.

Erik held his breath, his grip on the little slip of paper in his hands fraying it nearly beyond recognition. A number, that’s all it was, and he had it memorized anyway. It wasn’t too hard: he was number four, and he could remember that easily enough without the assistance of the paper declaring him as such.

“... remember, teamwork makes the dream work!”

He could probably do without hearing the announcer’s obnoxious tones, magically magnified to echo through the entire stadium and reach the ears of those in the viewing stands. The cheering crowd wasn’t exactly helping his nerves, either. Some said that the tournament was practically over once the draw was done, but these same people also stuck around through the fights to see the weaker teams get slaughtered. Erik nervously adjusted his silver mask.

“Eight! Number eight, come on up!”

Erik moved to the side for the person passing him. _Damn,_ she was absolutely gorgeous, with a dark ponytail swishing dramatically behind her and bladed boots clicking on the steps as she made her way to the stage. If Erik was drunk enough, she was the kind of person he would have tried to hit on. The kind that would inevitably end with him waking up the next morning sporting bruises he didn’t have the day before, and also feeling like shit. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving, and Erik thought she would prove a ferocious fighter. Probably a good partner, too. He silently hoped that ball number four would be pulled, and if not him, then at least someone incompetent that would make facing off against her a little bit easier.

“Aaaaand - number seven!”

Erik groaned, watching the muscular man in terribly mismatched clothing that somehow worked on him sauntering towards the girl. Of all the people who had to be picked, it was Vince. Vince Vanquish. The champion of Octagonia, most recent victor, and the local favorite.

If he had to face those two, he was probably - no, definitely - fucked.

“Number four! Step right up!” Annoying Announcer’s voice flooded his ears, and Erik rushed up to the stage as the new pairing moved aside, whispering to each other in a way that made him even more nervous. They couldn’t be strategizing already … right? Erik almost shuddered at the thought that they were probably sizing him up, and already thinking of ways to make him regret entering the tournament. He focused on looking as put together as possible.

But then the announcer called out “Eleven!” and his attention was caught by the person trying to get through the crowd to him. A boy who looked to be about a year younger than him, maybe two. He had shoulder-length brown hair and was wearing a purple mask that matched his duster, and strapped across his back was an enormous broadsword that looked lethal, to say the least. Erik’s heart skipped a beat when he smiled shyly and took his place by Erik’s side.

His new partner.

They both moved to the side, and Erik tuned out the announcer reading off more numbers.

“Hey,” Erik prompted. When there was no response, he continued, unfazed. “The name’s Erik, by the way.”

He hesitated a moment before responding with, “I’m El. It’s nice to meet you,” and a corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile that made Erik’s face heat up just enough that he could feel it, but not enough that it was visible. At least, he hoped not.

They watched as the rest of the fighters were paired off, some smiling at their old friends, some laughing with new companions, and some in bitter silence. Erik was glad that he was paired with someone who seemed to be optimistic. El definitely didn’t bring him down. To the contrary, El’s presence made him feel warmer inside, which was probably a good sign. If anything, El made him even more hopeful, and even more determined to do well.

***

“I’ll keep track of the opponents, and I can heal if either of us is hurt. You’ll do as much damage as you can, and try to knock down any magic users first, because they’re trouble.”

“Got it,” Erik replied, although he knew their plan for this first fight by heart already. El wouldn’t admit it, but Erik could see how anxious he was. Erik had dragged him away from the bars in uptown Octagonia before he could have any drinks, despite El’s protests that he would be fine on his own. The last thing the two of them needed was a hungover El unable to fight properly in their first bout.

“It’s the first fight of the tournament! The one we’ve all been waiting for! And this is an exciting one, folks - iiiiit’s Vince Vanquish and his new partner, Maru Malice! Everyone please welcome - the Clawed Cyclone!”

Even from the backstage area where all the fighters waited to be called up, the announcer’s voice is clear and easy to hear. At least this way it’s easy to know who’s more skilled.

Erik tried his best to tune out the jeers and cheers of the crowd, and instead turned to El next to him. “Should we have a team name? I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Yeah, sure.” El waited a moment, studying Erik’s knife at his hip, and the hilt of the one at his back peeking out from behind him. “Maybe something to do with our weapons? That’s what the Clawed Cyclone is, though, so I don’t know.”

Both of them were silent, listening to the fight going on. Judging by the crowd, Vince and Maru were winning. There wouldn’t have been so much cheering if the hometown favorites weren’t in the lead. Erik didn’t like listening to the fight, so he ran through as many names in his head as he could process, waiting for a good one.

“Partners in Crime?” Erik blurted out, not even thinking about the fact that El was probably far too innocent to have committed any crimes. He liked the sound of it, though, especially since it was different from anything he had heard the other teams coming up with.

El grinned, and it was so stunning that Erik completely forgot what they had been talking about for a brief second. “I like it. It’s original. And it’s not alliterative, because that’s annoying.”

“Alright then.” Erik held up a fist. “Partners in Crime?”

Erik was interrupted by a sudden burst of energy from the crowd outside the little area where they were waiting, and suddenly there was a burly man behind them. “You two are up next. What do you want the announcer to read off as your names?”

“Partners in Crime,” El declared proudly, tapping his fist against Erik’s. “And our fighter names are just Erik and El,” he added quickly, glancing to Erik, who nodded in approval.

“Alright. Good luck.” And with that, he was gone, probably to alert their competition.

“Up next is a team of two new fighters, Partners in Crime! Please give them a hand!”

El took in a deep breath, and Erik instinctively grabbed his hand, gave him what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and then walked up the stairs together. The arena was overwhelmingly bright, and Erik blinked in the harsh light of the sun. Octagonia never saw the sun, and he hadn’t been outside since the draw yesterday. Next to him, El was doing the same. Maybe it was an advantage to be called first, if only to adjust to the blinding brightness.

“Their opponent will be … Blood Rubies!”

Erik watched a woman in a scarlet dress with a purple cape and an excessive amount of accessories march confidently up the opposite stairs, followed by a scared-looking guy wearing a similarly colored coat with cream-colored billowy pants walking in her shadow. Erik couldn’t blame him for being scared - if he was being honest, he was too, but he didn’t let it show. If there was one thing he was good at, it was acting like he had it together, even though he rarely did.

“On my word … aaaand - FIGHT!”

The announcer got the hell out of there, which was lucky, because the man ran right up to Erik and proceeded to make his boot meet Erik’s chest, sending him reeling backwards.

Erik tried to observe them as much as possible, and noticed that the woman was quietly moving her hands and flicking them in her partner’s direction. Attack enhancements, maybe. At Erik’s subtle wave, he and El both snuck towards her, under the guise of going to attack the other, and then El caught his eye, giving him a nod.

Erik lunged.

It was a swirling mess of Erik’s knives, and finished off with an overhead strike from El, forcing her out of commission. The other wasn’t able to put up much resistance without the spellcaster’s help, and it was shamefully easy to have him lying on the ground, groaning.

“It’s over - and the Partners in Crime take the victory within minutes! Spectacular!” the announcer called out, and Erik resisted the urge to go show him just how easy it was to land a quick but deadly strike with his pair of knives. El helped the man get up, casting a Midheal spell on him in an attempt to right the damage they had done. Erik crossed the stage to get to him, offering the other pair a handshake before leaving with El on his arm and a grin on his face.

The next fighters were being announced, but both of them couldn’t be bothered to turn around and look back at them.

***

“Erik?”

“Yeah? What is it?” Erik stopped walking as they rounded the bend in the stairs back down from uptown Octagonia, where they had been scouting out the bars and checking to see what the merchandise was like (somehow, they had already managed to get a design featuring Maru and Vince, both with their claws in a ready position) so they would be prepared for celebrating their victory later on. Right now seemed a little early to celebrate, so they both had stayed out of the bars for the most part.

He looked over at El, and noticed that he was blushing furiously. “Would you be willing to, um, share a room with me at the inn? I thought it would be easier to wake me up if you’re there with me. And it would cost less.”

“Of course I will. You sleep like a rock. I’ll make sure to shake you awake so you’re ready for another round tomorrow.”

El gave him another one of his soft smiles, the kind that set something inside of Erik aflame, and they walked towards the inn, deciding it was better to reserve a room now rather than waiting.

“Hey there! You two sure make a good team. I saw your match, it was incredible!” the innkeeper gushed, flashing them a grin. “I’m rooting for you. Vince has had his turn, we need some new champions!”

“Thanks,” El said awkwardly. Erik inwardly sighed, and took over for him.

“We need a room for tonight. Any open ones?” 

Erik dug through his bag to find his wallet, but the innkeeper interrupted him. “Oh, don’t bother! Rooms are free for fighters, you need your rest! After all, tomorrow’s fights are bound to be a bit more difficult, right?”

“Thanks,” El repeated, much more naturally this time. As she held out two keyrings, El took one of them and gently pushed the other back down. “It’s okay, we only need one room.”

“Oh!” Erik couldn’t figure out what she had realized, but she nodded and tucked one key into a compartmentalized drawer behind the counter. “I suppose I should have known.”

“What do you mean … ?” El asked slowly, echoing Erik’s thoughts. Then again, Erik wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He was pretty sure he knew what she was implying, but some part of him was still curious as to what she thought.

“Well, you are _partners,_ ” she remarked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I can see why you would pick each other. I mean, both of you are quite handsome! You’ve already got some fans, you know, they’ll be disappointed to hear about it.”

“Um, hear about what?” Was El really this clueless, or was he just refusing to believe it? Erik couldn’t be sure, but whatever it was, Erik didn’t want to hear what she was going to say. If El honestly couldn’t see what she was implying, then his thoughts took about the same level of disturbance to awaken as he did in the mornings.

“Are you not … together?”

Yeah, Erik regretted everything. Well, not _everything,_ just this conversation.

“No, we’re not like that,” El explained, somehow staying calm through the entire thing even as Erik felt heat rising to his face. There was almost a note of sadness in his voice … not sadness, quite. He wasn’t sure how to describe it. In any case, it was stupid to tell himself that El might have wanted it to be true. It didn’t matter that El had the power to make Erik’s resolve crumble with one smile. It didn’t matter that El was so damn adorable. It didn’t matter that they had a kind of wordless communication that just works, without any kind of planning.

It didn’t matter that Erik may or may not be in this tournament for more than the money now.

Were his feelings that obvious? Everyone in the whole damn _stadium_ could see them fighting together, and they were already noticing the little things El did that made Erik hopeless. Although, they had just spent their afternoon uptown, exploring the town together. Which probably wasn’t a normal fighter pair’s choice of activity.

Then again, they weren’t exactly a normal fighter pair.

They were partners. And if Erik had anything to say about it, they would stay that way.

El took the keys, his face flushed, and hurried up the stairs, Erik following just behind him.


	2. Be Careful, It's My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second round of MMA fights draw near, and it's our old friends who should have been beaten last round! But they weren't. Excuse that little detail. ANYWAY, let's just get on with the actual story now. Erik Ignores His Feelings, as usual, but El doesn't want him to get away with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello and welcome back
> 
> I wrote some fluff stuff (well kinda fluffy) so, uh, here you go 
> 
> Side Note: I've resorted to Frank Sinatra titles for my chapters already. You have been warned.

“El. El, wake up. Are you even  _ alive? _ Wake. The. Hell. Up.”

Erik heard a groan, and he sighed in relief as El sat up, his hair sleep-rumpled but somehow still looking silky and perfect. He held himself back from running his fingers through the messy strands, but just barely. He really had to get that under control. Anyway, El was awake, so it was fine. Erik could deal with his feelings that definitely did  _ not _ exist later.

“Mornin’ Erik,” El mumbled sleepily, a tiny smile crossing his lips, and oh  _ shit, _ if that wasn’t the cutest thing Erik had ever seen then he didn’t know what was.

Yeah, Erik was going to have some serious problems. Already had them, if he was honest.

“Come on, lazybones, we’ve got a match to get to.” Erik’s tone was teasing, but his smirk was only present to cover up how relieved he was. He turned around and threw El’s black turtleneck in the general direction of his bed, followed by his purple duster. Erik refrained from throwing his shoes solely because of the muffled yelp that he heard after throwing the duster. Besides, he wanted El to be in good shape for fighting with him. He didn’t come all this way just to get eliminated in the second round. Or at least, he hoped he hadn’t.

“Alright, fine,” El grumbled, and shoved his sleep shirt off unceremoniously. Erik felt himself starting to blush, and turned away quickly. Shirtless El hadn’t exactly been part of the plan, but he supposed he’d better get used to it.

Now dressed, El made his way towards the door out of their room, but Erik stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You haven’t eaten anything yet. You need to eat, y’know.” Erik shoved a small roll of bread into El’s hands, an extra he had obtained when he went to the inn’s kitchens to get his own breakfast. El frowned at him, but he ate it anyway.

As they walked out of the inn and around the reception desk to the elevator, El huffed in mock frustration. “You’re so intent on taking care of me. Is that really necessary?”

“Yeah, if you won’t do it.”

El smiled, and slipped his hand into Erik’s. “What’d I do to deserve a partner like you?”

“Guess you got lucky. It was just random numbers.” Erik nodded towards the operator in the elevator, and waved his spare hand at their masks. He squeezed El’s hand as he heard a shaky breath from his direction, and El returned it.

“We got this,” Erik whispered, and El visibly relaxed. “We can take these guys any day.”

“Thanks.” El’s tone was as quiet as Erik’s had been, just loud enough for the other to hear, but nobody else. Erik hoped that they were called up first so that El could stop worrying.

“Goooood morning Octagonia! It’s time for the second round of fights! If you had as much fun as I did yesterday, then you’re in for a treat today! What a bunch of fighters we’ve got! And, to kick things off, we’ve got a duo who dominated in their last fight! Let’s give a warm welcome tooo … the Partners in Crime!”

Maybe Erik shouldn’t have wished for that to happen, but there was no going back now. El gave him a determined nod, and they stepped out together. Erik was surprised by the number of people who were cheering. For  _ them _ . He couldn’t help but smile at that, not to mention he kind of liked the way the announcer said their team name, stretching out the vowels a little more than necessary.

They were going to win this.

“They’ll be facing up against … the Underdigger and the Abominable Showman! Two of the most powerful fistfighters this tournament has ever seen! Can the Partners in Crime pull it off? Or will strength prove to be their downfall? Only one way to find out, folks - aaaand, FIGHT!”

Or maybe they weren’t. Erik shot El a questioning glance, and El jerked his head subtly towards the Underdigger, who looked to be the stronger of the two attack-wise. Erik nodded his head down once, showing that he understood.

Erik drove his knife, hard, into the Underdigger’s stomach, just above his belt. The only way he was going to be beat was with bold strokes, because of his sheer size. Erik was satisfied with the way he groaned. El swept in with the most powerful overhead blow he could land. This wasn’t too bad. This was easy, even.

The Underdigger went for Erik, who had left himself vulnerable to pull off the attack, which was no surprise. He had been expecting it.

The Abominable Showman was another story.

Erik hadn’t accounted for more than two fighters, and definitely not for four of the Showman, but that’s what they were facing. Erik glanced at El, wondering what he could do, but El only smirked. And then shot a wall of fire out of his hands at the four Showmen.

El might have had a trick up his sleeve, but so did Erik. El raised his eyebrows appreciatively as Erik cast an earth sigil on them all.

Maybe they did have a chance.

All four Showmen attacked Erik, but he motioned for El to do the fire spell again. He didn’t need healing. He was fine. Better to damage them as much as possible.

Three of the Showmen were sent stumbling by the fire, and the sigil spiked the last one right as he was about to attack. El grinned, and Erik grinned back, only to take a hit to the chest from the Underdigger. El shot him a concerned glance, but Erik got up and shot another knife blow at him. Following his lead, El swung his broadsword down on the Underdigger with such force that he growled and was knocked backwards, not to get up within the time limit.

Erik had never been so satisfied to hear the announcer’s voice.

He got up, trying to hide his pain, and somehow El didn’t notice as he walked out of the arena, head held as high as possible. He didn’t look back at the two they had just fought, but if he had, he would have laughed at the sheer hatred pouring out of the Underdigger’s eyes.

***

The stairs were a problem.

They wouldn’t have been, except that Erik half-tumbled down them, and El couldn’t exactly ignore that.

El turned back to look at him, and rushed to the bottom of the stairs leading down to the lower area of Octagonia, which they had planned on looking around today. “Erik! Are you alright?”

“Uh huh. I’m - ” he groaned as he tried to get back up, “just perfect.”

“You should have told me you were hurt, I would have healed you!” El sounded so betrayed and sad that Erik allowed himself to be helped up. Before he knew it, El had him in his arms and was carrying him bridal style back towards the inn.

“It's not - uh, you don’t need to do that,” Erik protested weakly, but El wasn’t fooled. It really didn’t help that Erik had started bleeding, and a small amount of it was staining his shirt.

Erik gave the innkeeper a little wave, and if she questioned it she didn’t say anything.

One of the inn workers saw them and hastened to open their door at El’s request. Erik felt himself being set down on his bed, and El brought over a chair to sit by him. Erik offered a small smile, hoping that it would be enough to make El feel better about it, but it became clear that that wasn’t going to cut it.

El summoned the soft green glow at his hands, and ran them over Erik’s bruises and cuts, which faded away at El’s touch. Erik felt guilty that El was using up his magic on him, especially since he knew El had been close to drained after using his fire magic. It had been a little while, though, so maybe he had some of his strength back.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just thought it was better to focus on fighting.”

“You’re the one telling me to take care of myself. I’ve got to return the favor sometimes,” El replied, thankfully without too much worry in his voice. Erik would never have forgiven himself if El had been concerned for him and it was only because he was stubborn. That was one thing he and Mia had in common - they were and had always been obstinate. Logic usually wasn’t enough to convince either of them that they should do something.

Erik’s face split into a grin as an image of Mia after he told her about what he had done at the tournament already crossed his mind. She would probably be saying,  _ ‘Erik, you’ve gotta win. If you don’t, I’m gonna be disappointed in you. Like, super disappointed,’ _ and would be cackling at the way that Erik was being taken care of.

He was going to win. Not just for her, but for himself, and for El. They all deserved a second chance.

“Hey, thanks.”

“What are partners for?”

Erik never said what he was thankful for, but he was pretty sure that El got the picture.

***

Something was off, and Erik knew it. El was normally a sound sleeper, to put it mildly, but he heard the rustling of blankets and sheets long after he should have been asleep. Erik had been woken up by the noise, and he was mildly alarmed that El was awake. He was able to run on only a few hours of sleep (one of the few benefits of living on the road for so many years) but El didn’t seem like a low-sleep kind of person, and Erik had to do something.

“Can’t sleep, huh?” he asked, voice low just in case El was really asleep and he was just imagining the noise.

“No. I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” El sat up in his bed, glancing across the barely-lit room at Erik, guilt heavy in his eyes. Erik shook his head. He couldn’t stand seeing El so down.

“I think you’re lying, but I’ll let that go for now.” Erik sighed, just quietly enough that El probably couldn’t hear him. El could read him so easily.

“It’s okay. Have you tried anything? Maybe make a cup of tea? Or warm milk?” Erik suggested, remembering that Mia loved nothing more than a mug of steaming milk with honey if she was having trouble sleeping.

“I tried making a cup of tea a while ago, but it didn’t really work.”

“Then do you know anything else that might help? You’ve gotta be well rested for tomorrow, we’re going into the semi-finals. Shit, I shouldn’t have reminded you about that. Sorry.”

“It’s fine … “ Eleven trailed off, and then fell silent for a minute, before suddenly blurting something out. “I know something that might help … but it’s not a good idea.”

Erik rolled his eyes, even though he knew El probably couldn’t see it in the dim light. “If it’s a bad idea, why’d you say it? And if it helps, you should.”

“I couldn’t ask you to.”

“Try me. We have to take care of each other, remember?”

El was already running a hand through his soft silky hair, and Erik wanted to trace the same path with his own fingers. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to have a crush on his fighting partner, if he could even call it that. It was just that he was drawn to El in a way he couldn’t explain, and that when El was around nothing seemed impossible. Like they could have taken on any challenge, if only they stayed by each other’s sides through it all. Erik got up and moved over to sit next to El on his bed, nudging him with a shoulder.

“Um. How do I say this … would you be willing to sleep with me? Not - not like that - “ El added hastily, his face hot as Erik’s eyebrows shot up, and slowly came back down.

“If you think it’ll help.” Erik was careful to keep his tone as casual as possible, even though his thoughts were anything but.

“Are you sure? I’ll fall asleep eventually, you really don’t have to - “

But Erik was already lying on his side, and pulled El down across from him with a fistful of his shirt, so they were both facing each other. “El. Shut up. You’re being ridiculous. If I had a problem with it, I wouldn’t have said yes.”

El sighed, but didn’t put up a fight. Erik finally gave in to the urge to run his hands through El’s hair, now fanned out over the pillow. El hummed contentedly, smiling at the touch. El’s breathing evened out after only a few minutes, and as he started to fall asleep as well, Erik wondered if it had always been this easy to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erik: wow idk what just happened but I like it
> 
> thanks for reading!!
> 
> please leave me a comment / kudos if you enjoyed, they legitimately make my day.


	3. Stealing The Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semifinals? More like ... time to get drunk. There's no way anyone will regret anything that happens. Nope. Of course not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!!! I'm so happy you're here!
> 
> anyway, I wrote more of this disaster, so, uh, yeah. *slaps down a plate of scrambled eggs* here, just take it already. please.
> 
> I did promise it would get better, but I'm not sure if it did. you'll have to decide for yourself.

“Only four teams remain in the semifinals! Place your bets on who’s going to make it, because you get to see them fight it out today! We’ve got a talented crew of semifinalists, so you’re all in for one heck of a spectacle!”

Next to Erik, El’s hand found his, and Erik took it, a response to his silent question. Four teams. All they had to do was take down one more, and they would be in the finals. Erik wasn’t very fond of the announcer and his stupid mustache, but in that moment, he’d never appreciated someone’s excitement more. At least the announcer would always find the positive side of the fights.

“Who will make it to the finals? Will the Beaty Queens’ charming natures and years of practice together carry them to victory?” At that, cheers for Sinderella and Whambelina echoed through the entire stadium. Erik had thought they would be taken out fast, but their looks must have been deceptive if they had made it this far. He didn’t love Whambelina’s broadsword, which was a similar size to El’s. In order to wield that, she must be pretty muscular.

“Will the Bullion Boys pull off another spectacular performance and blow away all the competition with their flair for ferocity?” Having never seen their fights, Erik could only assume that they were interesting to watch. Judging by the crowd’s noise, they were a favorite for the spectators. Why, he didn’t know, but he didn’t really have a desire to find out.

“Can the Partners in Crime prove themselves to be the new deadly duo that sweeps the board with their combination of spells and bladework?” Erik had no idea how the descriptions were made, but this one was pretty accurate. He was surprised to hear that they were getting just as much reaction from the spectators as the other teams, maybe more. El beamed, and Erik couldn’t help but join in.

“Or will the Clawed Cyclone, Octagonia’s very own champion and his new partner, destroy everything in their path, earning their place in the MMA hall of fame?” Vince and Maru were definitely getting the loudest cheers, and Erik knew why. ‘Hometown favorite’ was already a bonus. Add a hot girl who can also (presumably) kick ass? You’re golden.

“Well, folks, let’s get right into it! It’s time for the first match of the semifinals! Up first, we’ve got Partners in Crime versus the Bullion Boys! Come on out!”

Erik and El walked out together, releasing each other’s hands as they climbed the stairs. Looking across the arena, Erik noticed that there was no opposing team for them to fight, but the crowd seemed to have been expecting this.

“Yoo-hoo! Look out below!”

How the fuck -

Erik shouldn’t have been surprised. They went by Golden Boy and Sterling Sylva, after all, there was no way those names could have belonged to fighters who were anything less than dramatic. They both landed with a grace that Erik envied, and struck a pose for the watching crowd. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead analyzing the pair. One in a jester’s costume, and with a sword, the other with a silver boomerang like two knives fashioned together. Erik had used a similar kind of weapon before, but he had preferred knives in the end.

Wait, he had  _ two _ boomerangs. Well, Erik had two knives, so that was only fair.

They were probably doing that Pre Fight Trash Talking thing, but Erik couldn’t be bothered to listen. He could trash talk them just fine with his knives. No need for something so below his fighting station as addressing the existence of the other fighters.

El was looking at Sterling Sylva in a strange way, but Erik didn’t question it. It was none of his business, anyway, even if he was curious.

“We will not be holding back! Our onslaught will be merciless and swift!”

Well, Erik wasn’t going to complain if it was a fast fight. 

El shot Erik a meaningful look, and then nodded in Golden Boy’s direction, so they both unleashed as much power as they could on him. Erik did feel kind of bad for him, considering that he didn’t look to be any older than either of them, but he didn’t let that stop him. Golden Boy was down fairly quickly, but he had also cut into them with his flying knife things more than Erik would have liked.

Sterling Sylva was quiet at first, a little ways away, boosting his attack and defense, but it definitely worked in his favor later on. Each of them took a hit from his sword, and he even breathed fire at Erik, but it was all over before anything could really affect their chances. Erik had taken most of the hits from Sterling Sylva, and he wondered about why the fight had gone so quickly. Erik was too busy thinking about the outcome to listen much to their farewell speech.

“But I feel no shame in losing to a team such as you! Good luck in the final, darling!” And with that, both of them leapt back up into the air, somehow keeping off the ground. Maybe that’s why they had been so easy to defeat: they were saving their strength for an exit.

Stupid dramatic performances.

***

“Hey, we’ve earned a little break. Come on,” Erik pleaded, dragging a grumbling El out of the inn and towards the stairs leading uptown. “They’ll probably give us free drinks too, and I’m not about to say no to that.”

“When you put it like that, I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to go. The final’s not until the afternoon, and the award ceremony’s at dusk … so we should be fine even if we are drunk.”

“Isn’t that kind of the point?”

El glared at him, but it took only seconds for his lips to betray him and quirk up on one side. Erik knew he had won before El said anything.

After their first match, they had walked around uptown, and quickly discovered that there was only one place for the fighters to party: the half-outdoor bar by a stage, simply called the Tavern. It came as no surprise that the bar area and the dance floor were already filled up with people, mainly fighters who had already been eliminated from the tournament. Vince and Maru were nowhere to be seen, which might have been a sign that they were more serious about winning the competition, but Erik had a feeling they would come around sooner or later.

In the meantime, they had plenty to do.

Strangely enough, there was a cloud of people on them both as soon as they entered the vicinity. Erik supposed that was just one of the perks (or curses, depending on your opinion) of being a finalist. Actually, he almost … enjoyed all the attention. He wasn’t one for dramatic retellings of fights, but he could at least listen. Erik wasted the first thirty minutes letting other people talk to him all they wanted while going through a few beers (was he on his second glass, or his third? It didn’t really matter).

While Erik was distracted, El tapped his shoulder, and motioned subtly towards Vince and Maru, who were making their arrival at the bar. For some reason, the pair of them were walking towards Erik and El, and Erik couldn’t figure out why. Wait, they were the other fighting pair, and they were going to face them tomorrow in the arena. Right. Okay. Erik stood up and pushed his (mostly empty) glass away from him. He’d had enough for now.

Maru and Vince turned out to be fairly good company, and they talked for a while at one of the tables, watching several bunny girls serving up drinks, and even one on the stage, balancing drinks while dancing, much to the crowd’s delight.

“You guys have fighter names or anything?” Vince asked, after he too had gone through two mugs of something (Erik wasn’t sure what, but it had to be strong, because Vince was large and obviously not entirely sober. In any case, he had ordered one, so he hoped for the best).

“Nah, I’m just Erik, and he’s just El.” El nodded to confirm his statement.

“El … ? Is that  _ short for something? _ ” Maru was clearly angling for something, but Erik had no idea what she was talking about. He realized that he didn’t know El’s full name either.

“Yes, but does anyone use their real name in the tournaments?”

Vince and Erik shrugged in unison. “I use my real name,” Vince pointed out. “Always have, always will. Although Vanquish ain’t my last name, so I guess you’re right.”

“How about you, Maru? You sure you aren’t using a fake name too?” Erik teased.

“I don’t have to answer that,” she responded coolly.

“Why don’t you want to?” El asked, something sharp in his tone, as if he knew something the rest of them didn’t. Erik longed to know why he was doing it. Couldn’t he see that pushing Maru was a bad idea?

Maru’s eyes glinted with the hint of a smile. “I’m well known, if you know what I mean.”

“No you’re not,” Erik blurted without thinking, instantly kicking himself for saying too much and realizing that he had to explain. “I’m, uh, involved in some of those kinds of circles, and I don’t know any Marus.”

“Obviously. That’s because Maru isn’t my real name. I thought we established that.” She rolled her eyes. “Out of curiosity, which kingdoms are you wanted in?”

Erik’s eyebrows shot up before he responded, “What makes you think they know it was me?” Maru didn’t give in, her eyes boring into his skull, and he sighed out of frustration. “I’m not wanted anywhere. I only do that kinda stuff so my little sister and I can keep living.”

Her eyes softened. “Oh, really? What’s your sister like?”

Erik grinned. “Mia? She’s stubborn as hell. I guess she gets that from me. Greedy, too. Uh, she likes traveling, and we’ve been on the road for the last few years. If I get enough money from the tournament, I’m going to use it to send her to school.”

“Can I meet her someday?”

Erik turned towards El, somewhat surprised. “Yeah, of course.”

El’s answering smile was so genuine and soft that it made Erik feel like he was going to melt into a puddle, right there, in the middle of the tavern in Octagonia.

On the stage, Sterling Sylva and Golden Boy were wowing the crowd with their dancing already. They probably didn’t even need the influence of alcohol to be up there. Erik had previously had his doubts about how drunk he was, but the fact that he was up on the stage in a matter of moments confirmed his suspicions. He was nowhere near sober. Maybe whatever Vince had ordered wasn’t meant for someone his size.

He was going to regret this the next morning, but that was a problem for Tomorrow Erik.

As soon as Erik was up the stage (having climbed up the front rather than using the stairs like a sensible, sane person), Sterling Sylva moved down with a wink. Following Erik’s lead, Golden Boy started doing the same dance as him, and soon they were synchronized, up on the stage. Erik wasn’t sure how or why he was doing it, but the crowd was cheering him on, and a few minutes later it was all over and he and Golden Boy had gone down the stairs and were talking on two bar stools.

Maybe it was just the copious quantities of Vince’s mysterious alcoholic beverage talking, but Golden Boy suddenly seemed a lot cuter. And he could actually dance. And he was so close that Erik was almost cross-eyed trying to look into his eyes.

And El was beside him, with some kind of strange smoldering fire contained within his gray-blue eyes. Erik had never been so happy to be rescued. He would never let himself live it down if he had actually had a thing with Golden Boy. In front of El. He chose not to examine why that thought hit him so hard. Nope. Didn’t mean anything.

“I believe he’s  _ my _ partner.”

Golden Boy smirked at the pair of them, suddenly seeing something that Erik didn’t, and again he wished he knew what it was that he had realized.

Erik slid off the stool, standing to face El. Erik wasn’t sure what he was intending to do. Thank him, maybe. But all of that slipped away once he saw the expression on El’s face. The way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. The way he subtly let his tongue slip out to wet his lips.

The way he grabbed a handful of Erik’s shirt and roughly pulled him in.

The way his lips crashed into Erik’s.

Erik was certain that they were both drunk, but at that moment, he couldn’t be bothered to care. He let his hands wander up to El’s hair, and El let out a pleased hum when Erik swirled a lock around his finger, tousling it at random. El let out a faint trace of a growl, and gently took Erik’s lower lip between his teeth, earning a soft cry for his efforts. Just like that, Erik lost whatever control he had gained, but somehow, when he was with El, he didn’t mind at all.

It wasn’t until El pulled back, with satisfaction in his eyes, that Erik realized the entire bar had been watching them, and Erik gave them a smirk and a little wave.

El had wanted to show them all that Erik was  _ his. _ It might have bothered him, but when El did it, Erik found that it wasn’t all bad. He might even like it.

El released Erik’s shirt, the fragments of intensity in his gaze quickly ebbing away as he seemed to realize what he had done. He pulled back a little bit, his eyes turning apologetic (and maybe becoming more blue? Erik wasn’t sure if that was possible), but Erik took his hand, trying to communicate how he felt and most likely failing. Even he wasn’t completely sure what he was feeling at the moment. All he knew was that El had just kissed him, and he had liked it. A lot. And that he was completely and entirely head over heels for his partner. Which wasn’t very convenient.

As they left the bar together, making their way through the crowd towards the stairs and the inn, Erik noticed Maru shooting him an absolutely murderous look. If he had been sober, maybe he would have processed that that didn’t bode well for him in tomorrow’s match.

But right now, Erik wasn’t sober.

It was probably just Vince’s stuff catching up with him, but with El next to him, Erik had never felt more content. Maybe, just maybe, he had finally done something right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH I'M SORRY ABOUT THIS I AM INCAPABLE OF WRITING KISSES
> 
> Erik you little shit you were supposed to make the first move why did you make El do it
> 
> also, Erik, you want to know how the descriptions are written? by me. my struggles. watching the octagonia tutorial videos on youtube until I can quote the announcer. I've grown to dislike him quite a lot.
> 
> can you tell that I think golden boy is babey and precious and must be protected because I do


	4. How To Find The Way Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *begins speaking in the announcer's voice*
> 
> It's time for the showdown you've all been waiting for: the grand final of the Masked Martial Arts Tournament! That's right! Just two teams remain ... 
> 
> Is there gonna be more fluff? What kinda question is that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey you. yes you. you, right there. psst.
> 
> I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE
> 
> ... and please forgive me ...

For a second after he woke up, Erik wondered why El was curled up against him, with his head buried in Erik’s chest. And why his head felt so heavy. And why he couldn’t quite think straight.

The memories came flooding back like the wall of the dam holding them back had broken - no, like it had simply ceased to exist.

If he wasn’t such a coward, scared to lose his partner, the first person he’d felt this close to since, well,  _ ever, _ then maybe he would have said something about it. Erik could have stayed there until El woke up, and then kissed his forehead with a whispered ‘good morning’, and then talked about what had happened at the tavern. But Erik carefully removed El’s head from his chest, rolled out of the bed and started getting dressed. El slept on, undisturbed.

Someone like Erik couldn’t afford to get too attached, but he was pretty sure it was a little too late for that now.

Erik quietly walked over to the door, hesitating for only a moment before opening it and slipping out, leaving El alone. He'd be back with breakfast by the time El woke up. It didn’t matter.

El didn’t want him anyway. That much, Erik was damn near certain of.

El didn’t want him anyway.

***

Erik wasn’t altogether surprised when El didn’t bring it up. He was anything but silent, but Erik knew he was always like that when he was nervous, and he had every right to be nervous about this fight. It was as if nothing had happened between them the night before, and Erik told himself it was better that way. Just because he might kind of sort of have feelings for El didn’t mean that he had to return them. In Erik’s experiences, it usually meant the opposite.

“Come on, El, let’s do this. We can do it.”

El sighed, his breath wavering a little bit as he drew in a deep breath. “You’re right. How could I fail when I have such a good partner?” he asked, a smirk taking over his lips.

That was all it took.

“El? Did you … how do I say this … uh, did you mean it when you kissed me last night? I know you were really drunk and I was too, and I’m not sure if you actually wanted to, or if it was just because of Golden Boy - “

El let out a breathless laugh. “Is that what this was about?”

Erik blinked. “What?”

“You weren’t there when I woke up. And you’ve seemed kind of … tense all day.”

“You’re avoiding the question.” Erik hadn’t realized that he had been that obvious. He had felt like he could snap at any moment through the whole morning, but that was only because he didn’t want to acknowledge the change between them. Oh, wait, that’s exactly what he had just asked about, so he supposed El was right.

“I did. I meant it.”

Erik’s breath caught. “You’re serious?”

A grin spread across El’s face. “Do I need to prove it to you?”

El’s lips fell onto his before he could even think of a response, let alone actually answer. The light brush of El’s lips against his was a tease, and Erik knew it. It was soft, and gentle, and sweet, but Erik had never been one for that kind of stuff. He wanted this,  _ needed _ it, damn it, and if El wasn’t going to give him what he wanted, well then. He would just have to get it himself.

Erik used the moment after El drew back to shove him the short distance backwards to the wall, savoring the tiny gasp that escaped El’s lips. Erik stopped, letting a trace of the wolfish smile show through as he took a second to memorize the way El looked, pinned against the wall by Erik’s hand on his chest, before crushing his lips into El’s.

Erik definitely had a wild side.

His tongue swept over El’s lips, and that was all it took for El to part them and let him in.

Maybe El was just as desperate as he was.

El’s hands shook almost imperceptibly, his hands curling in Erik’s hair, and he let out a soft moan that left Erik feeling immensely satisfied and wanting more at the same time. Despite his wolfish instincts screaming in protest, Erik pulled back, but kept El against the wall.

“You’re  _ mine _ ,” he whispered against El’s lips, surprised at how low and rough his voice was.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Erik admired the audacity El had in offering him a smirk with his words, but for some reason it helped the wolf inside him back down, retreating back to where it usually stayed, rather than provoking it further.

“Sorry,” Erik mumbled, taking in a slow breath in an attempt to shelve the somewhat violent thoughts spinning around his head that all seemed to center around El.

“Erik. Don’t apologize. I liked that,” El admitted, prompting Erik’s eyebrows to shoot up, but his mouth quirked up into a small, relieved smile.

“I guess we’ve gotta go kick some ass now, huh?”

El beamed. “Let’s go.”

Erik reached out his hand to find El’s, discovering that he had been doing the same, so they met halfway in between. Stepping out to the central area, where one of the tournament staff was waiting for them, Erik finally realized what had changed.

He wasn’t just fighting for himself anymore.

***

Erik and El hadn’t asked around about the fighting strategy of Maru and Vince, which was probably a bad move on their part. Erik got the picture fast enough, though.

Maru wanted to see him dead.

Which wasn’t great, but he could deal with it.

He had to, considering that Vince was already going for El, and he couldn’t avoid Maru to help El take him on. She was extraordinarily quick on her feet, and also very strong. Not exactly Erik’s favorite combination.

Maru fought with so much grace and composure that Erik wondered if she had been trained. She was certainly more of a fighter than Erik was, in most respects. From the crowd’s perspective, it was likely just a scrappy guy with a knife in each hand facing off against an obviously talented martial artist who also happens to be out for his blood.

In other words, he was fucked.

What the crowd didn’t see was that there was an advantage in being a scrappy guy with a knife in each hand. Maru was fast, but Erik was faster. It took a lot of his focus, but he avoided most of her blows, and the ones he did take weren’t as bad as they probably could have been. Erik was able to sneak in a few good knife hits for every kick she landed. Something seemed to be distracting her. Namely, El. She was distracted as hell by El.

Suddenly Erik remembered the way she had looked at him after El had kissed him in the bar. It was the same look that was now in her eyes each time she shot her feet at his face.

She didn’t like that he had been kissing El.

Wait, was she -

He was going to show her just why he was the one El had chosen. Why  _ he _ was the only one who deserved the title of El’s partner. Erik was willing to fight for El, and this was his chance to prove it.

Erik usually kept his wild side in check. Then again, there was nothing usual about this situation, so Erik figured it was okay to let it happen, just this once.

Without any kind of wolf of her own to release, Maru didn’t stand a chance. Erik had her on the floor of the arena in barely a minute.

The last thing she did before he landed the blow that knocked her down was smile at him. A real smile, one that had a strange emotion tangled in it that Erik recognized to be acceptance. He had looked at Mia the same way before too many times to count.

Erik didn’t have time to think about it before Vince was on him. If had, maybe he would have figured out what Maru had tried to tell him.

He actually pitied Vince a little bit. He hadn’t even seen Maru’s defeat. He had no idea that Erik had pulled out his hidden weapon, the one that he had only used when he was in difficult situations where the only escape was force, and lots of it. His possessive side. Not to mention El, who was a force to be reckoned with on his own. Together? Vince would have probably been better off facing all the other fighters he had so far at once.

Erik and El were partners, while Vince and Maru were just two people working together.

“The Partners in Crime take the final! And what a final it was! Stick around for the award ceremony, folks!”

Strange to think it was just two random numbers that brought them together. Well, ‘random’ was a bit of a stretch. Erik would have liked to thank whoever rigged the drawing, though.

***

It was a familiar setup. Everything was the same as the night before, except that it was earlier in the day, and there was a lot less tension. Vince and Maru sat on one side of the long table, facing Erik and El. One of the bunny girls in green with a strong accent cleared all their plates, bringing Vince another glass of whatever he was drinking (thankfully Erik decided not to order any this time). Vince gave her a nod before making his way over to a crowd of fighters and eager fans waiting to meet him. Maru stayed behind. Erik wasn’t sure why, but he sincerely hoped he wasn’t in for another round.

Erik was surprised that he was the most sober person at the table. He had held himself back from drinking much, but El and Maru hadn’t drank much either. Maybe they were both just lightweights.

“This place is the kind of city that would put up a statue of Hendrik. Strong, but stupid. He’d probably get along with Vince.” Maru was clearly not at her maximum mental capacity, and Erik thought he might prefer her like this. At the very least, she was less dangerous. Maybe. Hopefully she wasn’t the type to be provoked easily.

“You think Hendrik’s head would look good up there?” El asked teasingly. Erik guessed that he wasn't too drunk, judging by the evenness of his voice and the lack of empty glasses in front of him.

“No!” Maru exclaimed, sounding scandalized. “Hendrik’s head doesn’t look good anywhere that isn’t his head … his shoulders … normal head location. You know what I mean.”

El rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

“Erik? Can I ask you something completely ridiculous?”

“Of course.” Erik tried and probably failed to conceal how surprised he was by the tone that El was using.

“You’re going to send your sister to school, right? So you can go wherever you want after that?”

“If she’d be willing to go. Why?”

El drew in a breath sharply, and then blurted out, “Would you want to live with me? Um. That didn’t come out right. I meant, I could offer you a job. And we would get to see each other pretty much every day.”

“Yeah,” Erik said before he could think too hard about it. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

El gave him a bright smile, one that made Erik smile back in return, and lean into him just a little bit, letting his head fall onto El’s shoulder. El hesitated for just a moment before slipping his arm around Erik’s waist, where it fit perfectly. Erik closed his eyes, trying to commit the moment to memory.

“I don’t have to deal with you two,” Maru huffed, standing up abruptly and leaving to join Vince’s crowd of fans, where she was welcomed with several men rushing to buy her drinks, and Maru turning them all down, saying she had had enough. At least she knew her limits.

***

Erik didn’t have much to pack, so he was ready to leave fairly quickly. He had always traveled light, and besides, Mia had most of their more valuable belongings back at Ruby’s in Heliodor. She still didn’t know where he had gone, and Erik knew he should have told her, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty, not when he had just won the MMA tournament and had the prospect of living with El to look forward to.

Having collected their prize winnings, Erik and El stood just at the point where the circular reception desk ended, and before the bridge leading out of Octagonia began. It was a fairly private place, and nobody was intruding upon them here. Luckily for them, Vince and Maru had taken most of the public attention, and they didn’t have many people trying to talk to them.

“El? Are you sure about this? Not that I’m complaining, but I’m not sure if you want to do this.” Erik sincerely hoped that he said yes, he was sure, but he had to ask just in case.

El huffed out a laugh. “I should be asking you the same question.”

“That’s … not an answer.”

“Yes. I want this. But there’s something I really should tell you. I probably should have told you a long time ago, if I’m being honest.”

Erik could only process that he had said yes. It took a minute for the other part to sink in, and when it did, he was certain that whatever it was wouldn’t deter him. “Alright, then, tell me.”

“My full name is Eleven. Um, that probably explains it well enough, but I’m the crown prince of Dundrasil.”

Erik let out a single dry laugh. “You’re telling me that the crown prince just asked me to live with him? Does this mean I’ll be the prince consort or something? I’m sure Mia would love that.”

“Wait. You’re getting  _ married? _ ” Maru’s voice echoed from behind Erik. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

El’s entire face was red within moments. “No! It’s just … “ but El never said what it was.

“Wait, you knew? You knew I was partnered with the crown prince and you didn’t tell me?” Erik asked incredulously.

“I did, but if I had told you, it would have given away … certain other things.”

El glared at her before dropping his voice. “She’s Jade. Princess of Heliodor. We’re sort of siblings? It’s hard to explain. Anyway, we recognized each other.”

Maru - no,  _ Jade, _ Erik reminded himself - smiled guiltily, and Erik recalled that she had been furious when El kissed him. Maybe that was why. If someone he didn’t trust was kissing Mia, he probably would have been pretty pissed off about it too. In any case, it was probably best to have Jade’s approval. She was a figure of influence, to say the least.

“Mia’s going to pass out when I tell her about all this. She won’t believe me though.”

Jade’s smile turned mischievous so quickly it was alarming. “I can always come with you as proof, if you like. I’m sure El wouldn’t mind Zooming me to her as well.”

El nodded, suddenly catching on. “You said she’s downtown, right? I was going to take Jade to Heliodor anyway, so we can stop there first.” Jade took his right hand, Erik his left, and they were gone before anyone noticed that two of the most famous and important people in Erdrea were in the center of Octagonia, swept away in a dizzying swirl of blue-tinged wind.

It must have been strange for the usual downtown residents. Erik was well known here, and several people acknowledged him with a wave or a nod. The look on their faces when they saw Princess Jade and Prince Eleven following him was priceless. He got the feeling that this would soon become the stuff of Downtown Legend. The kind of story that the kids would tell each other until they all knew it by heart. The kind of story they would dream of repeating. Erik almost wanted to kiss El right there just to see how they reacted.

When Ruby answered the door, she was speechless, having recognized Jade with her mask off and her usual regal clothing on. Erik decided right then that he would give Ruby some of his winnings too, to pay for Mia’s stay, which she had given to them at no cost. She was too generous for her own good.

Erik knocked three times in quick succession on the closed door that had Mia’s name written on the center in chalk, so it could be removed later. Impermanent. Just like everything else they’d had growing up.

“Erik? What is it? I’m kinda doing something,” she huffed from inside, but he could hear the smile in her voice. She had recognized the way he always knocked. Mia wasn’t actually mad at him, and he knew it. Neither of them could stay mad at the other for very long.

Erik grinned at the sound of her voice. He hadn’t realized that he had missed her so much. It was going to be hard to live without her, but at least she wouldn’t be leaving for a few months.

“Mia? You’re going to the Academie in the fall. Until then, I’ve got us staying with the prince of Dundrasil.”

“Ex-fucking-CUSE ME?” Mia practically screeched from behind the door. Erik knew she wasn’t daring to believe it yet, but she was already excited, and he knew it.

If anyone was capable of slamming open a door, it was Mia. She took in Jade and El wide-eyed, but quickly regained her composure.

She beamed at Erik, finally letting herself trust his promise. “Where are you gonna be while I’m at school?”

“Right where I belong,” Erik responded. El reached out for his hand. Erik took it, and leaned into El’s side, just a little bit, before standing on his toes and kissing El’s cheek, making him blush, while Jade rolled her eyes.

“Gross,” Mia muttered, but Erik knew she was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like I said, I am begging for forgiveness.
> 
> ignore the fact that Jade is a vampire and ignore the fact that wildside is a pep power. maybe Serena was in the crowd and got really hyped. this was the only way I could see Erik beating Jade in a fight, aside from making their gear unfairly biased.
> 
> by the way, if you're here, I am so so grateful. thank you for sticking it out with me. thank you for tolerating and maybe even enjoying this story. I had a ton of fun writing this!
> 
> if you kudos / comment ... I would be really happy ... 
> 
> side note: my friends have assigned us all characters, and it turns out I'm our resident Erik. who would have guessed?


End file.
